MMA Personalities News - Page 9

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UFC women's Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey appeared recently on the JIM Rome show, and discussed the "women weaken legs" rule in fighting.
“For girls it raises your testosterone," explained Rousey. "so I try to have as much sex as possible before I fight actually. Not with like everybody, I don’t put out like a Craigslist ad or anything, but if I got a steady I’m going to be like ‘yo, fight time’s coming up’."
There are limits however.
“You can’t (beep beep) somebody and go fight that day," said Rousey with a laugh.
She concluded by citing studies done that show that male fighters who abstain for months before a fight can actually suffer decreased performance (in fighting).

"Sad thanksgiving for me and my family. My house burned down early this AM. Thank God no one was hurt and I have that to be thankful for. Something like this makes my recent direction change all the harder...the one person that could make me feel okay about everything is no longer here. When God wants you to have a fresh start sometimes he really wants to make his point clear."

Former UFC welterweight Frank Trigg has a running joke with Zuffa matchmaker Sean Shelby, who also happens to be heavily involved in putting together the UFC's highlight reels. It's a familiar routine that often plays out via text message right before the UFC runs it's pre-event video package of great moments from fight cards past, all set to The Who's "Baba O'Riley."
"Before it starts I say, 'Sean, are you about to hurt my feelings again?'" Trigg told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
It's not exactly a serious question, because Trigg already knows the answer. He knows that, just as surely as clips from the classic fight between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar will make it into the highlight reel, so will he. It's just that he'll be on the wrong end of one of those memorable UFC moments. He'll be getting carried across the cage like a bag of fertilizer by former 170-pound champ Matt Hughes. He'll be getting slammed on the mat and then choked into submission at UFC 52, right before Hughes is lifted up in triumph to the sound of soaring guitars and a wailing Pete Townsend.
"I can't even listen to that song anymore," Trigg said. "It was seven years ago."

Speaking to ProMMAInsider.com, Robert says though Silva is a "phenomenal" fighter, as a person, he is as "arrogant" as they come:
"I think he's phenomenal man. I think he is phenomenal. I just think he's got an attitude man. Yeah. He's great, he's a phenomenal striker, unbelievable man. I keep saying that. He's really that good. But, I don't think much of the guy just because of his attitude. I don't think much of him as a person. I think he's incredibly arrogant and I just don't look up to people like that, I don't care how skilled you are. I really don't. To me, it's like, 'Alright, you're skilled, but you're an idiot.' So, whatever. I don't think that much of the guy as a person."
Chiming in on the much-publicized "super fight' between UFC welterweight champion and Silva, Drysdale believes the only reason Anderson wants the bout is because he knows he can beat "Rush" due to his size.
A fight against light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, however, is a whole different ball game, and according to Drysdale, Silva recognizes that:
"I would like to see him and Jon Jones, man. I think that would be a hard pick. Him and GSP, I think he would have an edge on [him] because he's going to be so much bigger, so much taller. Because he walks around 220-something from what I hear. Him and Jon Jones would be a better match and fun to watch. He knows that he can beat GSP because of the length. His (Silva's) wrestling has improved a lot from preparing for Chael Sonnen. But, that would be GSP's best bet and even so, he wouldn't be much better than Anderson on the ground. Jon Jones, it's a different ball game, he's longer than Anderson Silva and he's a better wrestler. Yeah, he (Silva) knows that."
Let's see, that's now at least six major prominent figures in the fight game that believe Silva is picking on the much smaller man. With Freddie Roach, Tito Ortiz, Martin Kampmann, Cesar Gracie and Firas Zahabi sharing Robert's sentiments.

The UFC's return to Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel and Casino from the Palms Casino Resort was the result of a fallout between UFC President Dana White and the Palms.
White on Saturday confirmed to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the accuracy of a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which stated he cut ties with the venue when his credit limit was cut in half.
"I had a little beef with the Palms, and I ripped the UFC out of there," he said with a chuckle...

According to industry sources, St-Pierre has 14 endorsement deals, with each paying him in the six-figure range. If you tally up the numbers from past and present deals, his income outside the cage is well into eight figures, sources say, with much of it coming in the past year.
The question is, how does a fighter who hasn't fought in more than a year and a half become such a magnet for blue-chip sponsors while sitting on the sidelines? The answer, according to those who know him best, has to do with St-Pierre's squeaky-clean image outside the cage and the team of high-powered agents in his corner...

No one has ever questioned that B.J. Penn wants to go down in the annals of UFC history as one of the best fighters of all time, but there have been moments when his motivation to train and prepare have come into doubt.
Returning from a short-lived retirement to face Rory MacDonald at UFC on Fox 5 on Dec. 8 in Seattle, however, Penn appears to be at the top of his game, even in the training room.
At least, if the training partners he’s hired for this fight are any indication, it appears that Penn couldn’t be any more serious about his Octagon comeback...

Ronda Rousey's manager takes 'Cyborg' Santos and her professional medical opinion that warns a 10-pound weight cut could harm the Brazilian to task, saying opinions (paraphrasing here) are like belly buttons ... everyone has got them.
Everyone has got them, including medical professionals who are charged with protecting the health -- and possibly even the self interests -- of their patients.
The cardiologist who former Strikeforce female champion Cristiane Santos relies on to ensure that her lub-dub lub-dubs properly to keep her blood pumping, recently warned her that cutting 10 pounds could have detrimental effects on her ticker. In addition to the potential pulmonary problems, the drop from her current fighting weight of 145 to pounds to 135 pounds could prohibit "Cyborg" from "carrying a child later in life."
Risking life and possibly motherhood for a mixed martial arts (MMA) fight seems like a pretty easy decision: No thanks.
Then again, it's only one opinion and, as we've already explained, everyone has got them, including medical professionals who are charged with protecting the health -- and possibly even the self interests -- of their patients. Just because it's one opinion, naturally, doesn't mean it's the correct or accurate reflection of the current situation.
Rather than let me try and explain it, I'll turn it over to Darin Harvey, who represents current Strikeforce female champion -- and possibly future big-money "Cyborg" opponent -- Ronda Rousey, who just so happens to weigh 10 pounds less than the Brazilian.
Harvey breaks it down to Yahoo!Sports.com:
"If you ask five doctors, you'll get five different opinions. I guarantee you, you can find doctors that'll say the weight cut will be fine.... It all depends on what side they're working for. It's her doctor. If you're going to trial, I can find a professional witness to make you look innocent or make you look guilty.... I don't want to see anyone get hurt long-term ... but my personal belief is she can lose the weight. She would just prefer an advantage to fight at 145 pounds. And I think we have the advantage at 135."
"We want that fight because it's a big money fight. We want to fight Cyborg and I think Ronda can beat her at any weight. But I believe if she's not taking drugs, 135 pounds will be absolutely no problem.... At the end of the day, it's up to Ronda. I would advise against it because I would like to do everything to get Cyborg down to 135 pounds, but I know it's the fight the world wants to see. I think it's a million-plus Pay-Per-View fight, so we have to take those things into consideration."

When Anderson Silva knocked Stephan Bonnar into retirement in early October, it was believed that the UFC had bypassed a key hurdle on the way to a Silva vs. Georges St-Pierre super fight. The last obstacle will come on Nov. 17, when GSP faces Carlos Condit. With a St-Pierre win, there would be no major contender issues, and talk could finally turn to financial matters in putting together what would clearly be one of the biggest money fights in mixed martial arts history.
But in the final days before St-Pierre vs. Condit, expectations may have to be tempered. In a Monday interview with Tatame, Silva said that he has no plans to challenge St-Pierre after the completion of UFC 154, and furthermore said that he did not expect to fight again until the end of 2013...

As Ronda Rousey becomes heralded as the first woman fighter in the UFC, it's amazing how quickly this has all happened.
Even more, one asks the questions, where is this going and what is the ceiling?
It's impossible to answer. But in cases like this, timing is everything. And the timing looks awfully good.
There are still some who cling to the notion that MMA fans don't want to see women battle in the cage, and it won't work in the UFC. But there is already years of evidence in Strikeforce and other organizations that prove differently.
Women have already shown they are viable on the card. And it's also been proven that with the right mix of personalities, women can be successful headlining major shows...

Stephan Bonnar and Dave Herman admit to taking the banned substances that prompted their failed drug tests at this past month's UFC 153 event.
That's according to the UFC, which recently issued a statement on both fighters.
As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported on Friday, Bonnar tested positive for drostanolone, an anabolic steroid, and Herman's test detected marijuana metabolites.
"The UFC has a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance-enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents," the statement read. "Both fighters have admitted taking the banned substances and have orally agreed to suspensions. Once the suspensions have been reduced to written agreements, the results of their tests and the agreed-upon suspensions will be sent to the Association of Boxing Commissions official record-keeper so other jurisdictions will be on notice."
The length of the suspensions wasn't disclosed.

It appears as if the former Grabaka Hitman is choosing retirement over a cloudy future in Strikeforce. Kazuo Misaki (25-11-2, 1 NC), the Pride 2006 welterweight grand prix winner, will take one more bout in Japan before he hangs them up for good according to MMAAsia.com:
In the biggest news of the night, the legendary Kazuo Misaki announced that he will step away from MMA action and that his final fight will be at DEEP’s December 22 Haleo Impact event. Due to Misaki’s Strikeforce contract, the match may have to be a "special exhibition bout" and no opponent was named.

Despite suffering his third-straight UFC loss, Fabio Maldonado (18-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC) will fight again in the octagon.
At Saturday night's post-UFC 153 press conference, UFC President Dana White said the 32-year-old Brazilian will not be released from his contract.
"If we cut that guy, we deserve to be beat with a stick," White said...

Following the retirements of both Brock Lesnar and Cole Konrad, what was once Team Death Clutch is no more.
The heavyweight team that assembled around former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar came to notoriety after the former Minnesota wrestler wanted to built a gym and facility that would make him a more complete mixed martial artist, while also keeping him close to home...

Following a Tuesday afternoon court appearance, UFC lightweight Jeremy Stephens continues to be held in a Minnesota jail – where he is expected to remain until his next court date.
Stephens (20-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) was arrested Friday morning by the Minneapolis Police Department for warrants stemming from a 2011 incident in Iowa for which the fighter was charged with assault. The arrest came just hours before he was to fight Yves Edwards (41-18-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC) at UFC on FX 5 in Minneapolis.
His fight against Edwards was pulled from the event at Target Center, despite efforts to get him released in time for the bout.
A representative from the Hennepin (Minn.) County court clerk's office on Tuesday told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Stephens applied for and was granted a public defender and now is being held without bail until his next scheduled court appearance on Oct. 23...

UFC president Dana White is not a man who lives with regret.
Through more than a decade of building and cultivating the UFC, White has remained the figurehead and leader of the business that has seen mixed martial arts hit new heights never before imagined when the sport first landed on television screens in 1993.
White has had his fair share of tumultuous relationships over the years: very public feuds with employees like Tito Ortiz and B.J. Penn, a longstanding pursuit of former Pride champion Fedor Emelianenko and the inside dealings with his management team, and even bridges burnt and rebuilt with promotions and several promoters.
When asked, however, if he had any regrets through his time spent with the UFC, White could only point to one time where he made a major mistake and it still haunts him to this day...

The police report paints an ugly picture. To read it is to put yourself there, in suburban Minneapolis, at 12:35 a.m. on June 29, 2011, by which point Brett Rogers has already done the things that will cost him his job, his self-respect, and, at least for a little while, his freedom.
You read it and you see Rogers – all 6-foot-4, 260 pounds of him – drunk and slurring his words as he talks to police officers in his driveway. You keep reading, and you see Tiuana, his wife of seven years, dazed and disoriented as she stumbles down the street in the dark, only to be picked up by officers who will later describe the "golfball-sized" bump above her left eye, the blood smeared on her face, the missing tooth. You see the couple's children, who will later tell a neighbor that they're scared to go home...

UFC fighter Stephan Bonnar will become a first-time father sometime in October. There is a chance his new son will enter this world as he's fighting Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 153 on Oct. 13 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
But whenever he comes, he might have a pretty catchy name.
Bonnar and his wife, Andrea, haven't decided definitively upon a name for their unborn son, but one name they've kicked around is Griffin.
As in, Griffin Bonnar. For those who aren't long-time mixed martial arts fans, those words have significant meaning in the sport...

Longtime UFC lightweight contender Clay Guida (29-13 MMA, 9-7 UFC) is headed to a new weight class.
The fighter has opted for a drop to the 145-pound featherweight division, his representatives from VFD Sports Marketing today announced.
A debut date and opponent have not been confirmed for his UFC debut in the division, but a rep told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) it'll likely come after the new year...

For the past few years in the world of MMA heroes and villains, Michael Bisping has almost always been rated as public enemy No. 1.
The brash Brit never holds his tongue, doesn’t mind speaking out about any subject, and has no problem dropping a few expletives for an opponent or anyone really when the mood strikes him.
But something strange happened to Michael Bisping on his way to the stage for the UFC 152 weigh-ins on Friday – he received a loud ovation from the Toronto crowd and most of the noise came from cheers, not jeers.
Bisping has routinely soaked in the boos from fans in the past, and has even admittedly reveled in the moment when he gets to play the bad guy. Over the past few months however it appears Bisping might be turning a corner with the fans, who are starting to enjoy his personal brand of delivering pre-fight hype and exciting fights in the cage...